Completing the DS260 for DV lottery entrants
Completing the DS260 for DV lottery entrants
*** Note***
Upon submission, some people are getting an error message that the confirmation number doesn’t match. In that case – the solution is here:
https://britsimonsays.com/faq/ds260-case-number-doesnt-match-case-number/
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OK – so the main task to process your DV lottery win is to complete a form online that is your “application” for immigration benefit. That form is the DS260.
The form itself might seem daunting, and it may take about 2 hours to complete. It is important that you prepare your information, and enter the details as accurately as possible. You will be able to make changes later on, but it makes sense to spend a few extra minutes early on to get this right.
You will some documents to complete the process and mostly you will need those now so gather them now and create a special file to start creating your DV lottery paperwork:-
- Passport information for you and your family members.
- Birth certificates for you and your family members.
- Your education history
- Your work history
- Your address history
- An address in the USA of a friend or family member. This is where your Green Card will be sent.
Ready? OK now let me guide you through completing the form:-
Enter the form for the first time.
You need your case number which will be in the format of YEAR-REGION-CASENUMBER. For example 2016AS00001234. This is the FULL case number including the “leading zeroes” in this case before the 1234. (In online forums we suggest hiding the last 2 or 3 digigits and dropping the leading zeroes – so when quoting your case on a forum you would state this number as 2016AS1XXX or 2016AS12XX. This protects your identity.)
The form will expect your date of birth in day/month/year order. This is odd because Americans write date in month/day/year order.
Once in the form you will go through a number of sections where you will enter your details. Most of the information is self explanatory – but here are screenshots for each section of how the forms will look for a simple case – and some comments about some of the questions. Please remember it is important to make sure your answers are YOUR answers. Don’t just copy what I am suggesting if the answer does not agree with your circumstances.
1. Summary.
Here you will see a list of applicants attached to the case (based on the eDV entry). Click the link under “IV application” to complete the details for each applicant.
You can also add applicants from this page (if you have married since the original entry or had a child). Once you have added an applicant you cannot remove that applicant or change their name. So – please be careful about name spelling etc. It is also important to note that if you are adding a spouse or child that you already had prior to the original eDV entry but failed to mention in the original entry you will most probably be disqualified, as that is a critical error.
If you do have to add a child or spouse because of a birth or marriage while you are waiting to be interviewed, remember you will need to add an applicant AND in addition your own form will need to be unlocked so that you can add the new family relationship to your form.
2. Personal Information 1.
This is where you will enter your name information. It is a useful page to capture your name in English, but also in Native alphabet.
The names entered on this page should be as listed on your passport – but also use the “other names used” section to make sure you have covered combinations that appear in your documents. For example, if you have an education certificate that includes an additional family name, use the alias section to include that name. Also, use the alias section if you entered your name differently on the eDV entry. Entering your other names used here means USCIS have early notice to perform name checks on your various names used and therefore you can make sure your background check is comprehensive – which is exactly what you want to reduce the chances of being placed on AP or even refused for incomplete name information.
Complete the other details such as date of birth. If you somehow made a mistake on the eDV about your date of birth (for example during conversion from a different calendar) THIS is your opportunity to correct that mistake – please pay attention to that. This would normally agree with the date of birth on your birth certificate, but if that is not known, then use the date shown on your passport.
About city/state/country of birth. ON the eDV entry (where you entered the lottery) you will have entered something for your city of birth. The three levels are related to each other – so a CITY is sometimes denoted as being in a STATE (or province) and that STATE is within a COUNTRY. People sometimes are not sure what to enter so let me gives some examples.
You could have been born in Richmond which is a city/town in London, United Kingdom. So an acceptable answer (which should agree with the information on your birth certificate) would be:
CITY: Richmond
State/Province: London
Country: United Kingdom
Your passport should be valid for 6 months beyond the point of entry, but if your passport will expire during the DV process, you might be better submitting now with the current passport and updating later once you have the replacement passport. This is especially true if you have a low case number, and are therefore expecting an early interview. If you do need to renew your passport during the DV process, in many cases people have taken old and new passports to the interview without unlocking the form, but the preference would be to add the new passport details if time allows.
OK – hope that makes sense. Check what it says on your birth certificate. It is important that this information agrees to the birth certificate and the passport. By the way – your country of birth may not be the same as your nationality (which is on the next page). But your country of birth is what should have driven your entry into the lottery (eligibility is based on your country of birth, NOT your nationality).
The finished result should look something like this:-
3. Personal information 2
This page is about your travel documents (passport). Make sure you have the passport in front of you when you complete this page – accuracy is important as this will enable background checks.
Note, if you do not have a passport at this time you can complete the entry using another state issued ID, and then later unlock your forms to add the passport details. You WILL need a passport prior to interview as will any derivative (family member) of yours.
4. Present and previous address information
Try and complete this as accurately as possible. Provide all the address that you have LIVED at since the age of 16. If you stayed at a holiday home for a month or two, that does not need to be entered, but if you LIVED at an address for a few months then you should enter that address. You enter past address in reverse date order – meaning going backwards in time, one address at a time. Be as accurate as possible with the date you started living at each address (you can guess the dates within a month or two).
5. Mailing and Permanent Address Information
This is information about where you expect to stay in the USA OR the address of someone you can trust to receive your Green Card on your behalf. Most people can think of someone within their family or friends that could receive the GC for them. You should also know that you can change this address during the process – right up to the day your arrive in the USA for the first time.
6. Family information: Parents
OK – self explanatory information. I only show the top of the page in the screenshot below but you add your parents details and their addresses. THe data here should be accurate, but if you don’t know their birthdates etc. it is not a huge problem. Do the best you can.
7. Family information: Spouse and Previous Spouse
Enter the details as appropriate to your case. Remember, the information should be correct on the day you enter it. So, if you plan to marry in a month but want to submit your form today then you are SINGLE today. YOu can either delay submission of your form until you are married, or submit now as single and unlock your form later after the marriage. There is some information about marriage during the DV process here.
A previous spouse is entered when you divorced of a spouse passed away. You will be required to produce a divorce certificate or death certificate during the interview to tally with what you enter here.
8. Family information: Children
Fairly obviously you will need to enter information about each child you have, making sure their information ties with birth certificates and passports.
If your child is nearly 21 there may be special considerations for you. Please read this article on children aging out and their status under the CSPA.
If you are expecting a child to be born during the DV lottery processing period there are also procedures in place to obtain a Green Card for that child. I will address that with a new article.
One thing I would say, it is ESSENTIAL that you listed all your children in the eDV according to the instructions. If you made a mistake about that you may have caused yourself a problem. If you have a concern, contact me and explain your situation.
In the case shown in the screenshot below the applicant did not have any children.
9. Present work/education/training information
OK so this is important as education OR work experience are requirements of the DV lottery. Please read this article for more information about meeting the requirement. I cannot stress enough. You are only required to meet the education OR work experience – you do not have to prove BOTH. Of the two routes, education is the simplest and most reliable method, but some people cannot meet the education requirement – and although this may surprise you that includes me. I have had a very successful career in the IT field and have demonstrated my skills to earn a H1 visa (which is category of visa for highly educated or highly skilled workers), BUT I could not have met the DV lottery requirement on education! So – think carefully whether you do or not – and act accordingly.
Enter the information about work and education based on what you are doing at present. If you are entering work experience and hope to qualify through work experience you should consider carefully the question about “does this job require 2 years of training or experience”. Again, read the article above to understand that better.
10. Previous work/education/training information
OK – so this will vary depending on what you did before your present occupation. Maybe you had a different job, maybe you studied. Whichever is true you must enter that information here and create a complete history of your work, education and training. Try and get the dates to be accurate and make sure that those dates make sense with the address information you gave previously.
This page can end up being quite long and for the screenshots I have had to break it into two pieces. Just take your time and make it make sense. You can add another occupation (work or edication). Again, you enter going “backwards” in time.
11. Additional work/education/training information.
Answer the questions truthfully on this page. If you answer Yes and a box opens for further details there will be instructions of what further detail they want.
12. Security and Background: Medical and Health information
Answer these questions carefully and truthfully.
The second question (about vaccinations) causes some debate. Truthfully it WILL NOT MATTER whether you choose Yes or NO for that particular question. The right answer for 99% of people is NO, because you do not have “documentation to establish…”, even if you do have records of vaccinations. So, it is a subtle point but whether you answer yes or no it will not matter. The vaccinations you actually need will be decided by the panel physician at the time of your medical. So by all means gather whatever vaccination documentation you have.
13. Security and Background: Criminal
Answer these questions truthfully. Most criminal convictions will not cause disqualification, and you will have a chance to explain at the interview. The crimes that can cause disqualification are called “crimes of moral turpitude”. It is a vague term and perhaps one that I will write about to clarify but most people by far will not have a problem even if they have a criminal conviction. Previous immigration fraud is not surprisingly one of the crimes that can cause an issue which is why it is essential you always tell the truth on these applications.
14. Security and Background: Security 1
Again – answer these truthfully.
15. Security and Background: Security 2
Again – answer the questions truthfully.
16. Security and Background: Immigration law violations
As I mentioned earlier – they take immigration law violations seriously!
17. Security and Background: Miscellaneous 1
Again answer truthfully.
The skilled or unskilled labor question has sparked some debate. In reality if you intend to work in the USA then the answer to this is Yes – but this is another question that will not cause a problem no matter which response your choose.
18. Security and Background: Miscellaneous 2
Again these just need truthful answers.
The healthcare professional one is another question that really doesn’t matter how you answer it. If you are a healthcare worker don’t be afraid to admit that.
The public charge question should be answered NO. Public charge means financial assistance from the government. You must realize that the Green Card lottery winners should not be claiming “public assistance”. There are some exceptions to that statement, but in general you are expected to support yourself. The USA is a land of opportunity, not free gifts.
19. Social security number
Answer these three questions as shown below unless you already have a SSN from a previous period in the USA. USCIS will (in theory) forward your details to the social security administration (SSA) to apply for your SSN. In practice many people find this does not happen correctly and delays are caused in getting the SSN after you enter the USA. Since the SSN is so important for many purposes here in the USA that is a nuisance, so I always suggest people visit the SSA office after a couple of weeks to make sure your SSN is “in the system”. You should receive the SSN card itself about 2 to 3 weeks after entering the USA.
Submitting the form.
OK so you have completed your form. You do the same for each derivative (family member). Check all the forms carefully, take screenshots if you like and when you are ready, submit the form. You should then print the confirmation page. You will be able to review the form later in review mode and can also take screenshots at that point.
You may also be prompted to fill out a form for “selected service”. Any us resident male under 26 years old is required to register for selective service. This does not not mean you will need to serve in the military, but if there was some crisis that required additional military men under 26 years old will be picked by a lottery to be inducted into the military.
The form will become “locked” so that you will not be able to edit it although you will be able to review the information after you submitted it. If you need at any time prior to your interview to unlock the form you can do so by emailing KCC who generally respond within a few days. Once unlocked you can make changes.
Once KCC have your form they will “process” it. They conduct background checks based on the information you have told them and access to official records. The processing period in DV2015 took around 4 to 5 months because of the volume of forms submitted around the same time. So, if you have a very low case number and you delay the submission of your DS260 there is a chance you could delay the interview date – BUT don’t worry, you will simply be interviewed later. Interviews are conducted based on case number order but only from a pool of cases that have completed their DS260 processing.
April 3, 2019 at 04:12
Hi britsimon, I am an studing in university than in ds-260 i should fill my education as university no degree or high school degree?
April 3, 2019 at 05:15
Highest education COMPLETED.
April 9, 2019 at 07:13
I am a computer engineer. but I haven’t been working for a while. I finished my school last year in Turkey. I am neither a student nor an employee now.
What should I fill-in for primary occupation ?
April 9, 2019 at 13:56
Unemployed.
April 17, 2019 at 07:17
hello, i have a question i wish someone, especially britsimon can help me with,
i have lived in austria, vienna for a year where i graduated from THE AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, AND GOT MY HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA FROM, that was in 1990, that is over 29 years ago,
how am i supposed to get a “police certificate of good conduct” if i since then have been living in my own country.
i am asking this because from what i understood that if you were over 16 years old and lived over 6 months in a country i was supposed to get such a good conduct certificate.
your help would be appreciated.
thanks
April 17, 2019 at 23:01
You follow the instructions on the reciprocity page. If the authorities come back with police cert that carries no information because that is too old – then that is what you submit – in other words you show that you tried.
April 22, 2019 at 21:36
Hi Simon, hope you are well. I am in the process of divorce. I had obtained Decree Nisi but not yet Decree Absolute, need to wait for the court to approve the financial order first. I know I must still fill in the spouse section on my form (because technically still married). My question is do I need to fill in my spouse’s form? Can I leave it blank and only submit my DS260 form? Thank you very much for your help.
April 22, 2019 at 23:36
Your own DS260 needs to be accurate as you have correctly stated.
Assuming you are not taking your husband, he does not need a DS260.
April 30, 2019 at 15:48
Hi simon,
In i-134 which annual income should be shown?
Before paying tax or after paying tax. Please respond me fast as possible because my interview is coming soon.
April 30, 2019 at 15:57
Before.
April 30, 2019 at 16:12
It means gross income?
April 30, 2019 at 16:34
Yes
May 2, 2019 at 17:16
After visa approve in interview and correct visa profile is made. Than is there is any last possibility for the pending or reject of visa ?
May 5, 2019 at 22:12
Hi, on the DS-260 form I beleive p7 it say’s other nationality what exactly does that mean as I my understanding where you are born is your nationality and not the citizenship. Can you please clarify what other nationality means? Thanks!
May 5, 2019 at 22:24
If you had another nationality you would understand. So – don’t worry about it if it doesn’t apply.
May 6, 2019 at 01:24
Mr.Brit can i fill my ds 260 for my spouse even tho i havent got the legal marriage Certificate yet? i will get it on may 14th , KCC already open my ds 260. can i fill my marriage date may 14th but now is still 6th may? is it illegal to Do that?
May 6, 2019 at 01:53
No.
May 9, 2019 at 15:02
Thanks for the comprehensive guide, Simon! I also have a few questions regarding filling out the DS-260. It would sure be great to hear your feedback on those.
1. Do we have to include our artistic aliases in the ‘other names used’? I.e., my wife is a dancer and on her Youtube Channel, Facebook page, and some other social media she uses her artistic nickname.
2. Is anyone going to call the phone number for the ‘Permanent Address’ in the US? Our relatives are not always there to pick it up.
3. Present Work/Education. As the principal applicant, my wife currently works as a dance and stretching coach, but she wouldn’t be able to provide any documentation on this. Are such docs required and if so how can we manage this?
Btw, reading about you having to take multiple screenshots – consider using a Full Page Screen Capture Chrome add on, if you’re a chromie 🙂
May 9, 2019 at 19:35
1. Up to you.
2. No
3. No. If she is the selectee she simply needs to prove the education requirement.
May 9, 2019 at 21:34
Thanks a lot!
May 9, 2019 at 15:04
Hi Simon, hope you are well and thank you for answering my previous question. I now have a question on filling out “previous US visits”. I entered US as J1 holder 10 years ago. I didn’t leave US for the duration of the J1 visa (for 2 years). At the same time I also had a USA B2 visa issued before the J1 visa and the B2 visa was valid for the durations of my J1 Visa. (I don’t know whether J1 visa issuance automatically rendered B2 invalid.) Anyway, I found a mysterious partial entry stamp on my passport. It read “B2”, then the date “1 Dec, 2008”, in black ink. Now, I entered US on J1 on 1 Sept 2008. I am certain I didn’t leave the US till 2010 (unless someone knock me out and made me donate a kidney outside of US without me knowing ) . But because of this partial stamp, I do not know whether to omit this stamp, or include it on my previous 5 US visits. Thank you so very much! Your time and effort is greatly appreciated.
May 9, 2019 at 18:14
Hi Simon, after staring at the partial entry stamp I think I’ve solved its mystery. I think this stamp was for indicating the maximum duration of a US B-2 entry. I entered on the 2 June 2008, and it makes sense that the black inked stamp read B2 1 Dec. 2008. I was preoccupied with my J1 visa entry, then because these entry stamps are all crowded on the same corner of the passport page, I got confused…… Thank you Simon! I think writing this all down had made everything clearer to me.
May 9, 2019 at 19:38
I have no strong opinion about that. Use your best judgement.
May 10, 2019 at 10:32
Hi Simon
My son was born in US and holds US citizenship so I didn’t include him in the original DV entry.
How should I treat him when I fill in DS 260?
Thanks a lot
May 10, 2019 at 22:04
You list him on your DS260, but do not create a DS260 for him.
May 10, 2019 at 13:17
Hi Brit,
After I’ve gone through the form, I have a few questions.
1. When I apply the DV I put “Country Where You Live Today” as Singapore as I am currently living in Singapore, but I would like to do the the interview at my home country because I am not sure whether I will be able to extend my work pass here or not. Is that ok?
2. When I apply the DV I put “What is the highest level of education you have achieved, as of today?” as University Degree, but you have suggested to use highschool diploma equivalent mentioned in this link – https://www.immihelp.com/immigration/high-school-diploma-equivalents.html? I would like to know whether I will be able to provide both my high school cert and my university degree cert?
3. I have already commented in another post that I have a medical condition and currently under medication. It’s TB but not infectious one. Now, I don’t know how do I have to answer this question – “Do you have a communicable disease of public health significance such as Tuberculosis(TB)” . My condition is very confusing, it is “TB”, but not infectious TB. I have the letter of Singapore Government TB Control Unit that I am under medication. Even though at the time of interview I will have my medication completed, do I have to answer “YES” ?
Thanks
MSZ
May 10, 2019 at 22:21
1. They schedule based on current address. So if you move home, update your address.
2. Yes show both.
3. Yes
May 11, 2019 at 02:17
So, it is fine to change Embassy at the time of interview?
May 11, 2019 at 05:24
No. You should change address BEFORE the interview.
May 11, 2019 at 06:07
ok. thank you. Another issue, birth place. In the birth cert is like “Town, Destrict”. I entered in the dv form as my birthplace as “Town” and in my passport is with “Destrict’. Will it cause any problem? thanks
May 11, 2019 at 14:52
No
May 12, 2019 at 01:24
I am replying here because I am not able to reply to your answer to my last question. It is very nice to know that it’s not going to cause any problem, but which one should I use when I do ds-260? Town? or Town, Destrict?
Thanks
May 12, 2019 at 02:57
Town.
May 15, 2019 at 16:34
Hi Brit, sorry to keep coming back on this. As I already mentioned, City where you were born in DV Entry was Town and Passport is District. So, you told me to use Town. But, in our country, structure is like town, district, state, country so do I still need to use “Town” only to fill “City” field or “Town, District”?
City : Town
State : State
Country : Country
Like that?
May 15, 2019 at 19:10
If you give a town, from that you can get to district, state and country – right? So use town!
May 10, 2019 at 18:13
Simon, can you please help me with a few more questions regarding the DS-260?
1. Since turning 16 I participated in the Work & Travel program (4 months) and lived in the US at 3 addresses (while working and travelling, no hotels). Should I fill in these addresses in my address history? They’ll be like 3-months long and 1-month long.
2. My wife’s the principal applicant. In the Spouse section of my DS-260 there’s a question about my wife’s ‘Surnames’. Should I include her actual last name, or both that and the maiden one separated by a space? Common sense says I should not, but I’ve seen a couple websites suggest otherwise. Btw, she’s specified her maiden name in the respective (‘Other names’) field of her form.
3. Listing my previous work experience, should I specify multiple supervisors at a certain job, if they changed while I worked there? For instance:
Supervisor’s Given Names JAMES, VIKTOR
Supervisor’s Surnames HUDSON, CORVALHO
Or just the last one?
Thank you.
May 10, 2019 at 22:52
1. No. You mention the trip – but you were still “living” in your home country.
2. Her current name
3. One is fine.
Please use some logical thinking.
May 10, 2019 at 22:59
Thank you!
May 11, 2019 at 08:46
My new born less than 2 months old doesn’t have a passport he only have a birth certificate. Is a birth certificate suffice for a child as we are yet to apply for his passport ?
May 11, 2019 at 15:12
The child will need a passport for the process. You can submit the DS260 before getting the passport, but you will need to submit the scan of the passport along with other documents before being scheduled.
May 11, 2019 at 18:06
One question – If I have two passports from two different countries, do I need to fill only national passport that won lottery or both I own? Regards
May 11, 2019 at 18:09
Read and follow the instructions.
May 11, 2019 at 23:13
Hi
What if you wrote in dv entrant form your city of birth as shown in passport, which is not city but district. Can we correct that in DS-260 form. Will it be problem?
May 11, 2019 at 23:20
It should be OK if correct in the DS260
May 12, 2019 at 02:00
hello .thanks for your comprehensive guidance . please give me info about that my birth place is a village in a district of Nangarhar province in Afghanistan in my ID card . but the city or the center of this province is Jalalabad . and in my passport my birth place is Nangarhar so what I should enter in the city of birth ? . or tell me about street name , if my street doesn’t have name or there are not streets names in my vilage when I lived there for some years after getting 16. so what to enter in the form thanks?.
May 12, 2019 at 03:10
Use your own judgement.
May 12, 2019 at 10:49
Hello Sir my question is not posting and this is my first time please guide how to post question.
May 12, 2019 at 14:00
Your question posted. 4 times. Just be patient.
May 12, 2019 at 09:57
Hi BritSimon,
I was selected in DV2020. I have 3 children (My Little daughter is a U.S Citizen and she has already U.S Passport) therefore, I didn’t list her in my lottery application according to the instructions. Now, in DS260, should I list her in the list of the children? Also, is there any special steps/handling should I do for her?
Thanks,
Ahmed
May 12, 2019 at 13:55
The form explains this. You list her on your DS260, but she won’t need a DS260 for herself.
https://britsimonsays.com/dv2020-dont-submit-ds260-until-you-read-this/
August 14, 2019 at 22:08
Hi Brit,
Further to this inquiry, what should I respond to this question says: ” “Is this child immigrating to the U.S. with you?”
I was seeing it’s obvious to say “Yes” but one of my colleagues told me he has the same case for his wife and send inquiry to KCC who told him to respond with “No” to this question as his wife doesn’t require any VISA or immigration process to enter United States.
What do you think?
Regards,
Ahmed
August 15, 2019 at 04:16
“no”
May 13, 2019 at 12:33
When do i need to pay fee. Is it before submit the DS 260 or after? Thankyou
May 13, 2019 at 14:40
At the interview.
May 13, 2019 at 19:12
Hi Brit Simon,
I was selected in 2020 and now I am feeling the Ds 260 form.I have more than 2 years of working experience in other firms but Currently I am working as a self employed on my small engineering firm and on ds 260 form there is no option on present primary occupation about self employment. So what can I choose From the list?
And what does it mean by ‘does this job require 2 years of training or experience’ I try to read your article about it but I couldn’t get it?
May 13, 2019 at 19:16
About the list, just select the closest match to what you actually do.
2 years experience is not a critical question, but generally explains whether the job requires experience or training to perform the role/. But no need to steress about it.
I am wondering why you are already completing your DS260. Is your number low?
May 13, 2019 at 20:10
My number is 48XXX and shouldn’t I submit the form now? I thought after you got your winning notification letter and case number you can start ds 260 form. Is there something to do with the number?
May 13, 2019 at 21:00
There is no need to rush. Slow down.
https://britsimonsays.com/dv2020-basic-questions/
May 14, 2019 at 11:03
Hi there. I added a ‘spouse’ on my application form, but have since realised that as we are only ‘engaged’, we are not actually classified as a ‘spouse’. I cannot remove my partner, and she was not included on my original lottery entry form. If i submit my application, will i be penalised for adding my partner and not filling in her details?
May 14, 2019 at 13:54
No. Just don’t submit hers unless or until you get married.
May 14, 2019 at 18:11
Hi, can i start ds 260 today and save it to continue tommorow because i cant print now ? Thanks
May 14, 2019 at 18:45
Yes. You can save as you go.
May 15, 2019 at 07:03
Hello Brit. Thankyou for all the information you give here.
When I completed DS260, at previous jobs part, I forgot to add a job I had when I was a student.
Should I open dhe DS260 and correct that? May this be a reason that I don’t get the visa?
May 15, 2019 at 14:04
No need. It was only a Part time job.
May 15, 2019 at 09:17
I have answered YES to the vaccination question, but left the EXPLAIN tab blank. Is it okay or should I reopen my case to add an explanation?
May 15, 2019 at 14:25
No need.
May 16, 2019 at 07:31
Thanks!
May 15, 2019 at 20:58
Hello Brit,
Thank you for all the explanations.
I do have a question. Do I have to sign the application forms for my children and husband as well? Beside the case number, should I provide my passport number for their forms or their passport number at the sign box? I am the principal applicant.
May 16, 2019 at 03:53
You complete all the forms.
May 15, 2019 at 21:05
Hi, Brit. I have some questions about the DS-260 application:
1) Regarding the “Have you lived anywhere other than this address since the age of 16?” question, I haven’t moved from the house I was born in. So should I just fill my birth date in and, of course choose NO?
2) In the Work/Education/Training section, would filling in my Primary Occupation as Not Employed at the moment be looked down upon or considered liable to be Public Charge from the consular officer during the interview?
3) In the “can you speak or read other language(s) than your native’s?” question, should I only list the languages I’m fluent in, because, besides English, I have fairly good understanding of German?
4) Regarding the vaccinations question, should I answer with YES or NO, if I’m vaccinated against some of the diseases listed according to the US immigration laws?
5) Finally, If I’m planning for a temporary job until I settle down and prepare the required papers to get my primary profession as a chemist, should I answer with YES or NO to “Do you seek to enter the United States for the purpose of performing skilled or unskilled labor but have not yet been certified by the Secretary of Labor?”
Thanks!
May 16, 2019 at 03:56
1. Correct
2. Overthinking.
3. Use your own judgement.
4. No.
5. The truth.
May 16, 2019 at 14:16
Hi
Can we change the name of sponsor after getting interview date
May 16, 2019 at 17:06
Yes
May 17, 2019 at 08:15
Hello Simon, First I appreciate your effort and detailed explanation in articles and comments.
1.At DS260 education section I put my first academic degree as (high school diploma) but actually in my country it isn’t written diploma on the certificate. Only (secondary school completion) which is equivalent to HS diploma. Should I reopen my case to correct it or is it OK?
2. My second degree is university one but In the course of study I wrote (academic) by mistake then in degree I mentioned (bachelor in chemistry). Can they reject me for this mistake?
Thanks in advance.
May 17, 2019 at 20:03
1. No need to correct.
2. no
May 17, 2019 at 11:02
Hi Simon,
I worked for a couple of years in Libya before the civil war. I was working 9 weeks in Libya and 4 weeks out but officially I was not a resident as I had a tourist Visa.
1- Shall I add Libya in the list of addresses.(it is mentioned in my work experience).
2- If yes, is it required later to provide a Police Clearance Certificate from Libya? the country is still in war!
Thank you so much for your help.
May 17, 2019 at 20:15
1. No need to list that.
2. Not needed.
May 18, 2019 at 10:52
Hi Simon:
thank you for your guidance , please tell me that how to answer the question before giving the address of someone in US that is ( is your present address is same with the mailing address?
it is different for me because I am in Afghanistan right now or it indicates the address of someone to whom the green card will be delivered?.
May 18, 2019 at 13:40
The USA address is someone who will receive the GC for you. Current address is where you live now.
May 18, 2019 at 21:39
Hi thanks alot for your answers which is very helpful,, i use to study in inda between 2005 to 2008 should i get police clearance from there
May 18, 2019 at 23:32
You need to read the instructions.
May 19, 2019 at 18:53
Thanks for the prompt response, yes ive read the instructions its says you live more than 6 month
But some people say its not required thats why I would like to be in a safer side & issue it
One more Q. can i sumbit a I-134 document for another person than who I mentioned in the ds-260 form as he will not met the qualifications of sponsors ?
May 19, 2019 at 19:00
If you had *properly* read the instructions you would have checked the reciprocity page for India, where it states “Indian police certificates are not available for foreign (non-Indian) nationals applying outside India.”
Re I-134. Yes.
May 19, 2019 at 20:32
I missed this point, yes am not indian
Thanks alot this very helpful
May 18, 2019 at 23:14
Hi BritSimon,
I am Egyptian but I was born in Saudi Arabia in a City called ‘Jeddah”, therefore, I was selected under Asia region.
Now, I has to provide my birth certificate, but the question is it must be the one from Saudi Arabia, or I can provide my Egyptian birth certificate which states that I was born in Saudi Arabia (no mention about the city, only the country) and the same stated in my Egyptian Passport.
Knowing that, it may be so difficult to have or issue a birth certificate from Saudi Arabia as I don’t have my original one.
My wife (Spouse) has also exactly the same case? For her, should also I provide her Saudi birth certificate or the Egyptian one will be enough as she is a derivative not the prime?
Thanks
May 18, 2019 at 23:39
Obviously the Saudi one would be safer.
May 19, 2019 at 01:37
Hi Brit, my ds 260 form has been processed and I’m expecting August interview. In my current address I didn’t write the p.o number (ticked does not apply) I just found out the number for my address, should I unlock the ds 260 form or can I add it in the interview?
May 19, 2019 at 03:27
At the interview will be fine.
May 19, 2019 at 06:09
Hi ,I have written in my DS 260 form ( high school,no degree))) As our high school education is equal to USA high school education ,is that can be a problem to refuse my Ds 260 ?
May 19, 2019 at 14:29
It is determined by the embassy.
May 19, 2019 at 16:35
hello
am filling ds-260 from Kenya and unfortunately I have no friend or relative who has residence in USA ..so how do I fill the address for sake of receiving my green card?
May 19, 2019 at 16:48
You will need to find someone you can trust. A friend of someone in your family or a friend of a friend.
May 19, 2019 at 23:47
Hello, thanks for the helpful information, I am just confused still about “the skilled or unskilled labor” question.. my parents are US citizen and they applied for green-card or me and my brother.. so should I answer this question “yes” (because I would like to work if I get the permission to live in US and I am not sure if I need to get any certification there.. I studied economics and business, my brother studied software engineering), or I should just tick “NO”?
May 20, 2019 at 01:10
It doesn’t matter what you pick.
May 20, 2019 at 03:15
Dear BritSimon, at the end of the DS260 they ask if I ever had a SSN, and if I need it re-issued. I got an SSN from way back (1990) when I could work as a student. I still have it, even though I’ve been living in Western Europe since then. It’s a bluish fibre-paper and still in good condition. My question: is it still valid or do they expire? Is it necessary to get it re-issued because modern ones are of new design and material? Thanks.
May 20, 2019 at 04:16
You will keep the same number and have the card replaced.
May 20, 2019 at 04:05
Hi, last year in November when I was filling out the dv lottery application, I included my son because he was under 21 (20 years and 11 months). Now, I’ve been selected. He is now 21. By the time our appointment comes up, he will be 22. My DS 260 page has him listed as an accompanying family member. Should I fill out his application even though he is now over 21? Thank you!
May 20, 2019 at 04:43
List him on your DS260, but don’t create a DS260 for him. He won’t get a GC. You must remember it would take a very long time to be able to sponsor him for his own Green Card.
May 20, 2019 at 12:46
Hi
My high school certificate names and the names in my passport doesn’t, March what can i do? Since my high school name it contains some famly name
May 20, 2019 at 14:14
You show what you have and prove that the education certificate is yours.
May 20, 2019 at 17:07
I took affidavit that both names are mine.also i have recommendations of work experience of two years and one month also will it help plz?
May 20, 2019 at 20:14
Maybe.
May 21, 2019 at 08:01
Hi,
In my application for Lottery i entered the adress that i am supposed to live (from the documents in my Country, Certificate) and a wrong postal number. (Because we have alwayes used numbers 1000 and 1001 when we order something from abroud and didn’t know that it changes)
1- Can i change the Postal Number in Ds260 and could it be a problem for it?
2- Do i have to write the adress where i actually live or the adress that i have in my certificate?
(Those two adresses next to each other)
May 21, 2019 at 14:02
1. No problem.
2. Where you live.
May 21, 2019 at 10:37
hlooo Mr Britsimon, i wanted to inquire on the first application form i made a mistake in my name instead of writing Bernard i wrote Benard en i missed letter r so on filling the ds 260 form, can i correct it or i maintain Benard with out letter r? thanks
May 21, 2019 at 14:06
The DS260 should have your accurate name.
May 21, 2019 at 22:26
Hi Brit, can’t get hold of my middle school certs(before University), but I have 7th, 8th grade and University Diploma, certified by my country government. Please, do you think it will be a problem, can I submit as it is? Thank you for helping.
May 21, 2019 at 23:05
Having the documents would be better, but if you can’t get them, that is all you can do.
May 22, 2019 at 04:40
Hello Brit. In the DS-260 they ask if you had previous work experience. I do, but I meet the education requirement already (US high school and Bachelor’s degree), and want to prove only that. I don’t want to prove my work experience, but it is a lie if I answer as: No, I do not have previous work experience (if I do have history). I got two questions: (1) am I required to provide that history of the (existing) work experience in the form, regardless of wanting to use my education levels? (2) if I went to an additional university where I didn’t complete the course, is it compulsory to list that one too, or can I leave it out without being called a liar? I want to put only the university where I completed everything, but I had a feeling they demand to know every place you attended at secondary or higher levels. Thanks.
May 22, 2019 at 15:20
1. Yes. You are required to tell the truth. Shocker huh.
2. Perhaps this link will help. http://lmgtfy.com/?q=truth
May 23, 2019 at 12:56
Thanks Brit, I’ll put everything then, entire work history and both my universities, including one I didn’t complete. I wanted to anyhow, but was afraid I might be inundating with trivia. Now I know they appreciate the detailed history, that’s what I’ll provide.
May 22, 2019 at 05:14
Hi Simon,
I was wondering how to fill out my addresses in the DS260. Can you put two addresses for a given period of time if one of them was an address you lived during the week for commuting purposes and one was your residential where I had all my stuff and lived during weekends? My W2’s got sent to my commuting address and bank statements to my residential so would like to put both if possible.
Also how does it work for me to put my Swedish address (so they know that I am doing CP) when I am in the U.S at the moment?
May 22, 2019 at 15:29
Choose one address. Residential would be my choice.
You list your US address as current, but on the DS260 you indicate that you will process CP and choose your “home” embassy. You can follow up by email if you wish, to make your intention clear.
May 22, 2019 at 06:42
hi Brits, many thanks for all your help and information,
I am 2019AF35xxx i got my interview letter for July, this is in Mumbai, i want to know do I have to give them my documents in advance or carry them with me for the interview.
Please guide
May 22, 2019 at 15:41
You follow the embassy instructions.
June 24, 2019 at 02:17
I have given my +2 exam or high school 1 month ago and i will surely pass the exam before my second letter arrived . I fill my ds 260 form and counselor said that i should fill high school no degree but in my first form i had filled as i had passed my high degree exam. What should i do ?? Dv 2020 . Should i correct the form or it won’t affect?
June 24, 2019 at 05:16
No problem.
May 22, 2019 at 08:23
Hi Simon,
Hope you are well. I have completed and submitted my DS260 along with my child’s DS260 two weeks ago. I didn’t complete nor submit my spouse’s DS260, since we are divorcing (Decree Nisi obtained, not Decree Absolute yet). When I check the status of my case. My spouse’s DS260 changed from Incomplete to Start Now.
1) Do I just leave my spouse’s DS260 as it is? Do I write to KCC to explain? (I already indicated that he will not be joining us on my DS260)
2) I just found my very old A-Levels results from the exam board. In DS260, I only wrote I had GCSE certificates, and studied for A-Levels. Should I unlock my DS260 to add now I can confirm that I have A-Levels also?
Thank you very much for your help and patience!
May 22, 2019 at 15:51
1. Leave it as is. No need to explain.
2. It helps when you make your situation clear. I assume you are DV2019, in which case I would not suggest you unlock to correct that. If DV2020, correct it.
May 22, 2019 at 16:56
Hi Brit, i have a problem and i am so sad I might no fix. When I got married my middle name (mom’s family name) was missspelled (***Note
capital letters*** NanjunGo instead of NunjunJo) by the conservatory man, I told him, “that’s was wrong”! He said, “once I get the married I’d it will be fixed”. It still came the wrong way! Since in my country its so hard to get documentation I delayed changing it. Resulting in all my documents coming with that mistake. I mean everything, Passport, university cert, driving licences, everything. Even when I filled in the DV I inserted according my Passport details. On my birthday certification, since at the time in my country they use to handwrite not computerised, it misses guides a person ( I guess that’s the root cause of all) please, please, can you please guide me on this? How can I proceed, should I call KCc, mail them? Please help. Thank you.
May 22, 2019 at 17:31
I don’t think this is a bad problem. You can decide how to proceed.
May 23, 2019 at 13:11
Dear BritSimon, the DS-260 is asking for the number of my last US visa. The field insists all visa numbers are a minimum of 8 characters, but the truth is my old visa has only 6 (all numbers). I guess they switched over to 8 characters at some point. How would I provide the data if the field doesn’t accept my 6 character string. Is it common practice to add afew zero’s in front like in math, where it doesn’t change the number or should I just skip this field because it doesn’t accept the uniquely correct data, and additional zeroes could potentially be mistaken for other existing visa numbers out there that really do have zeroes in front as part of their 8 character serials. I appreciate your advice. Thanks.
May 23, 2019 at 18:09
I don’t know.
May 23, 2019 at 20:08
Yes, I guess I don’t know either. Fortunately, there’s an “I don’t know” button which greys it out allowing a skip. I’ll use it, since my 6 digit visa number does not satisfy the field, nor can I find the requested 8 digit number on the visa. Thanks.
May 23, 2019 at 19:05
Hi Brit,
I need some help regarding my secondary education studies. I attended 2 institutions, In the first one I spent the first 2 years of high school and in the second one I finished my high school education.
In the Course of study for the first institution I wrote “First 2 years of High School” and in the second institution I wrote “General secondary education with a specialization in science”. For both I wrote “Diploma”, is this okay?
Thanks in advance for your help!
May 23, 2019 at 20:44
Yes